THE RED SHED.
Wakefield Constituency Labour Party Club.
18, Vicarage St, Wakefield WF1 1QX
(01924) 215626
President: George Denton.
Secretary: Richard Council.
NEWS RELEASE.
No Embargo. 26th August 2016
RED SHED THE PLAY TO BECOME RED SHED THE BOOK.
On Monday 5th September, in the Wakefield Labour Club, at 11am, the project to create a written history of the people and politics of the Red Shed will be launched and you are invited to attend.
Supported by former Wakefield M.P, David Hinchliffe and local historian and author Ian Clayton, sessions to involve the past and present members and campaigners, who have made Labour Club history and promoted socialism, will be established to document the Red Shed’s living heritage.
Thanks to National Lottery players the Club has received £6,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to fund the project which involves speaking and writing sessions in the Club on Thursday, September 8th (6pm to 10pm), Saturday September 17th, (11am onwards), Wednesday 21st September, (11am onwards) and Monday September 26th, (7pm onwards).
Further dates will follow.
Ian Clayton commented that the sessions would enable people to tell their own personal stories and to herald the involvement and achievements of past members and the struggles they were involved in. “We want this to be an enjoyable experience for all those who have been involved in the Red Shed over the decades”, Ian stated.
The project coincides with a production of the “Red Shed”, produced by Mark Thomas and currently on a national tour and the Club’s own half century celebrations at the end of September.
David Hinchliffe said today, “The Club’s fiftieth birthday will be marked by a significant stage production, events in the Club itself and now a book devoted to a shed and its relevance in half a century of political and social change. This is a very exciting project and I hope as many people as possible come forward to be a part of it.”
Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This project will open up and record the history of the Red Shed and allow local communities to get involved to share their heritage and learn new skills.”
The Wakefield Labour Club was recently recognised as a Community Asset and is home to a range of organisations, some political and some not. All of these users will be invited to take part in the project,by means of collecting people's stories and memories through speaking and writing, with the intention of producing a book by Christmas 2016.
About the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.
ENDS